Beyond This Open Road (1934) Online

To a WWII-indoctrinated eye, there's a certain unsettling air of Hitler Youth about this showcase of healthy, happy young bodies displaying their wholesome athletic prowess -- but the comparison is an anachronistic and completely unfair one. Perhaps a more appropriate echo is with the tinplate advertisements that once lined Britain's streets and station platforms, proclaiming the virtues of Dunlop tyres, seaside resorts and London Tube destinations in general with pictures very like these -- and as a resolute non-Lycra-wearer, I feel vindicated in watching the young men and women of the early Thirties cycle with their trouser-legs rolled up or in knee-length skirts respectively!

There are some lovely incidental shots of the English countryside on view (not to mention some very modern-looking ducks). And I found that watching this film left me with the subliminal impression of having enjoyed an energetic day out and returning home pleasantly exhausted, without actually having to do any of the work...